Claw-bar



' UNITED STATES PATENT GEFICE.

GEORGE BROWNELL, MITCHELL, INDIANA.

CLAW-BAR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,899, dated November 14, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BROWNELL, of

Mitchell, Lawrence county, Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railroad Claw Bar; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part ot' this specification. My invention relates to sundry improvements in the common claw or crow bar employed for the extraction ot railroad spikes, said improvements resulting in a more eective instrument and one or more multifarious functions. l

The drawings represent only the lower or operative parts of the instrument.

Figure 1 is a rear view of a bar embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 shows the instrument employed in the customary way. Fig. 3 illustrates my mode of acting on an elevated object. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate my mode of acting on a depressedv object. Fig. 6 illustrates a peculiar use ot my bar.

My bar A has the customary cleft extremity or sheeps foot, B. Projecting from the heel of the bar are two unequal spurs or ribs, C C. The bar is also provided with shoulders D D', which limit the forward vibration of a peculiarly-formed shackle, E, which is connected to the bar by means of a pivot-bolt, F. The shackle E is armed with two jaws, G G', separated by a tapering interval,g.

Operation: A spike having been started in the usual way, (see Fig. 2,) the shackle E is permitted to assume the position represented in Fig. 3, so as to afford a fulcrurn of sufticient elevation to complete the extraction ot1 the spike. For the extraction ot' spikes whose sitnation is on the outer and consequently inaccessible edge ot a bridge or trestle, or in the narrow depression between a main and guide rail, the clevis E is allowed to drop until its jaws G G engage the head ot the spike, said jaws being thus made to perform the service of a claw. A continued depression ot' the har brings into service the lesser spur C, (see Fig. 4,) and still further depression brings into service the larger spur C'V, (see Fig. 5,) which so elevates the eiective t'ulcrum as to enable a complete extraction of the spike.

In situations whe/re the sheeps foot cannot be conveniently applied for prying purposes the shackle may be made to take its place, as in Fig. 6.

I claim herein as new and of my inventionl. The bar A, in combination with the rib C and shackle E F G, as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. The combination ofthe shackle E F G g with the shoulders D and bar A, when constructed and arranged to operate as explained.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand. v

GEORGE BEOWNELL. Witnesses:

GIDEON PUTNAM, E. S. DUvAL. 

